Railroad-crossing alarm.



Ho. 884,537. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

D. w. THOMAS.

RAILROAD CROSSING ALARMQ APPLIOATION FILED MAY 13. 1907.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

.zzyz.

Tnhfll, 7: v made! K175022201): 4 4

wrne ys THE NORRIS PETERS co., wAssmawu, 04 c,

- No. 8843587. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

- 1). W. THOMAS.

RAILROAD CROSSING ALARM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, 1907.

' 4 SHEETS'SHBET 2. J

THE NORRIS PETER C0,, WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 884,537. I

' 1). W. THOMAS.

RAILROAD CROSSING ALARM.

APPLICATION IILED MAY 13. 1907.

4 SHEETS SHEE1T 3.

W my, 'mwzzr m Jam 1257207774 n4: NORRIS PETERS C0,, wxsnnvaron, n. c.

PATENTED APR 14, 1908.

1). W. THOMAS.

RAILROAD CROSSING ALARM. APPLIOATION FILED Mn 13. 1907. Y

PATENTED APR. 14, 1908.

4 sums-sum 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL W. THOMAS, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH TO JAMES F. MILLER, ONE-FOURTH TO CLARENCE F. MILLER," AND ONE-FOURTH TO JOHN H.

THOMAS, OF MONROVIA, CALIFORNIA.

RAILROAD-CROSSING ALARM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Application filed May 13, 1907. Serial No. 373,238.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monrovia, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Crossing Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates-t that class of railroad crossing alarms which are adapted to give an audible signal at a crossing in advance of an oncoming train; and it is the object of my invention to provide an alarm which will automatically give signals of any oncoming train for a given period of time after the alarm has been released.

A further object is to provide a device which will give a continuous signal as long as a train is passing by a signal point.

A further object is to provide means whereby the alarm will be wound previous to giving an alarm just enough to provide for the giving of that particular alarm.

A further object is to provide means to prevent the winding of the alarm while the same is in o eration.

I accomp ish these objects by means of the device described herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1is a front elevation of my improved railroad crossing alarm, the cover being removed therefrom. Fig. 2-is a side elevation of the same, the side wall of the casing being removed therefrom. Fig. 3is a vertical section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4is a diagrammatic view showing the operative connection between a car truck and the alarm. Fig. 5is a front elevation of the alarm.

Referring to the drawings designates a case preferably constructed of sheet metal and which contains the bell ringing mechanism of the alarm. A frame 11 is mounted within the case on studs 12 forming the bearings for the several shafts contained in the mechanism. A main shaft 13 is journaled in the bottom 14 of case 10 and in frame 11 carrying an actuating spring 15, the outer end of which is secured to one of the studs 12. At the side of spring 15 and loosely mounted on shaft 13 is a large gear wheel 16 connected to shaft 13 by ratchet wheel 17,

rigidly secured thereto, and pawl 18 secured to the gear wheel. Spring 15 is adapted to rotate shaft 13 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 3 and, through the medium of ratchet 17 and pawl 18, to rotate gear 16 in the same direction. Gear 16 meshes with gear 19 on shaft 20 also provided with a large gear 21 meshing with pmion 22 on shaft 23. Shaft 23 carries a large gear wheel 24 near one end which is rovided'with a plurality of rollers 25 adapted pivoted on shaft 27. Shaft 27 extends outwardly to the top of casing 10 and carries on its outer end a hammer 28 ada ted to strike a bell 29 mounted on the top 0 casing 10. coiled spring 30 is provided to pull hammer 28 towards bell 29 and ring the bell each time a roller 25 passes from. under arm 26. By means of the mechanism above described it will be seen that the alarm bell will be successively struck by the hammer as long as spring 15 is allowed to rotate shaft 13.

A disk is secured on shaft 20 and is provided with a radial slot 36 into which a detent pin 37 on detent arm 38 is adapted to fit. Detent arm 38 is rigidly mounted on rock shaft 39 which is also provided with arms 40 on its outer end pivotally connected to vertical guide bar 41. A roller 42 pivoted to a bar 43 is adapted to roll along vertical guide bar 41, a spring 44 holding roller 42 in engagement with the guide bar and a second spring 45 holding it in its upper position as shown in the drawings. A rod 46 is also attached to bar 43 at the point of attachment of roller 42 and passes downwardly out of the case to connect by means hereinafter described to the actuating mechanism located on the railroad track. This actuating mechanism is adapted to pull rod 46 downwardly so that roller 42 will contact with the bend in the lower end of guide rod 41 and pull guide rod 41, and with it arms 40, downwardly. Rock shaft 39 is thereby rotated and detent pin 37 is pulled out of slot 36 in disk 35, thus freeing the mechanism and allowing spring 15 to actuate shaft 13 and ring the alarm bell as before described. Shaft 20 is journaled in an auxiliary frame 50 in which is also mounted a small rock shaft 51 carrying a spring pressed detent 52. Detent 52 is provided with a notch 53 adapted to engage the end of detent arm 38 and hold the arm in its outer position seats to prevent the return of detent pin 37 into notch 36 before the mechanism has started to rotate. Rock shaft 51 is also provided to contact with an arm 26 with an arm 54 adapted to contact with a pin 55 set in the face of disk 35 and be moved thereby to rotate shaft -51 and move detent 52 to release detent arm 38 so that detent pin 37 may enter slot 36 on one complete revolution of disk 35. A ball governor 60 is connected to gear 34 through'a train of gear wheels 61 and serves to regulate the speed at which the various parts of the mechanism may move. The proportions of gear 21 and pinion 22 and the speed at which governor 60 will allow-the mechanism to run are such that the alarm bell is rung for a considerable space of time on a single revolution of disk 35. Should a passing train be of such a length that disk 35 has made a complete revolution before the entire train has passed the signal point, detent pin 37 will again be removed from slot 36 in disk 35 by the action of roller 42 on guide rod 41 and the disk will be permitted to make another revolution. This operation will be repeated as long as the train is passing the signal point.

Secured to frame 1 1 is a U-shaped frame provided with a vertical slot 71 adapted to guide a stud 72 in a vertical motion. Stud 72 is mounted on bar and carries a dog 73 which is adapted to engage with a dog 74 secured to bar 43 as shown in Fig. 1. Bar 75 is pivotally secured to bar 76 pivoted loosely on shaft 13 and which carries a spring pressed dog 77 adapted to engage with ratchet wheel 78 rigidly secured to main shaft 13. Upon the downward movement of rod 46 dog 74 engages with dog 73 and carries stud 72 downwardly in slot 71, dog 77 engaging with ratchet 78 and rotating shaft 13 to wind spring 15. Upon reaching the lower end of guide rod 41, roller 42 moves the guide rod downwardly and also outwardly on account of the diagonal position of bars 40 supporting the guide rod. The outward movement of the guide rod is sufiicient to move dog 74 to the left in Fig. 1, so that it will be out of en gagement with dog 73. Roller 42 can then reciprocate on guide rod 41 as often as rod 46 is actuated by a car truck without moving dog 73 and thereby winding spring 1 5. I/Vhen,

however, guide rod 41 is permitted to move upwardly and inwardly by the movement of detent pin 37 into slot 36 in disk 35, dog 74 is again permitted to contact with dog 73 and, upon a subsequent movement of rod 46, spring 15 is again wound up. A cam 80'adjustably secured to frame 11 contacts with dog 77 and forces the dog out of engagement with ratchet wheel 78 when the mechanism is in the position shown in Fig. 1. Cam 80 is of such a shape that it allows dog 77 to engage with ratchet wheel 78 upon the downward movement of the winding mechanism so that spring 15 may be wound up by such movement. This cam provides means whereby ratchet 78 may rotate with shaft 13 in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1 without being impeded from such rotation by dog 77.

I have shown a typical mechanism for operating actuating rod 46 consisting essentially of a bell crank mounted in a bearing frame 91 secured to the sleepers of a track 92. The long arm of bell crank lever 90 is connected by a flexible cable 93 to rod 46. Wheels 94 of a passing car truck are adapted to contact with the short arm of hell crank lever 90 as shown in Fig. 4, and thereby to pull on cable 93 connected with rod 46. By this arrangement it will be manifest that rod 46 will be operated every time the wheels of a car truck pass over bell crank lever 90 and the alarm bell will be rung continuously until the entire train of cars has passed the bell crank lever. The above described operating mechanism has been adopted from Patent No. 837,643, December 4, 1906, Railway Crossing Alarm, issued to Anthony W. Presley and of which a portion has been assigned me. I therefore disclaim any invention in this feature of my device.

It will be observed that I have produced a railroad crossing alarm which, when once set up, needs no further care for its operation. The alarm may be placed at any desired distance from the actuating mechanism on the track and its internal mechanism arranged to sound a signal for a long or short period of time after each actuation thereof. The

amount the main spring is wound on each actuation is adjusted to just provide for one rotation of the detent disk so that the mechanism is always in running order.

Having described my invention 'what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, motor means to sound said signal, locking means for said motor means, and means operable by an oncoming train adapted to remove said locking means from locked engagement with said motor means.

2. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, motor means to sound said signal, a lock for said motor means, and means operable by an oncoming train whereby said motor means is energized and said lock removed from said motor means.

3. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, spring motor means, to sound said signal, locking means adapted to normally look said motor means from rotation, winding means for said spring motor means, and means operable by an oncoming train to operate said winding means and also to remove said locking means from locked engagement with said motor.

4. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, a spring motor adapted to sound said signal, winding means for said spring motor,

and means operable by an oncoming train to operate said Winding means.

5. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, a spring motor adapted to sound said signal, a lock adapted to normally look said spring motor from rotation, and means operable by an oncoming train whereby said lock is removed from locked engagement With said spring motor.

6. In a railroad crossing alarm, a bell, a hammer for said bell, a spring motor adapted to operate said hammer, a lock adapted to normally prevent said motor from rotation,

means operable by an oncoming train to remove said lock from locked engagement With said motor, and means to permit said lock to again lock the motor after a definite amount of movement thereof.

7. In a railroad crossing alarm, a bell, a hammer for said bell, a spring motor adapted to operate said hammer, a lock adapted to normally prevent said motor from rotation, means operable by an oncoming train to Wind said spring motor and to remove said lock from locked engagement with said motor, and means to permit said lock to again lock said motor after a definite amount of movement thereof.

8. In a railroad crossing alarm, an audible signal, motor means to sound said signal, means operable by an oncoming train to set said motor means in motion, and locking means adapted to stop said motor means after a definite amount of motion thereof.

9. In a railroad crossing alarm, a signal, motor means to sound said signal, means operable by an oncoming train to Wind said motor means and set the same in motion, locking means adapted to stop said motor means, and means to prevent the rewinding of said motor means While said motor means is in motion.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I DANIEL W. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

'TRIMBLE BARKELEW, .EDMUND A. STRAUsE. 

